ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS ADOPT BILL ON THE ORDER OF ALIENATION OF LANDS FOR PUBLIC AND STATE NEEDS
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 27 2006
Despite the active protest of the opposition, Armenian parliamentarians
adopted bill on the order of alienation of lands for public and
state needs.
Justice Minister David Haroutunyan said that earlier the
Constitutional Court recognized a number of provisions in the above
codes contradictory to the Constitution of Armenia. This necessitated
the elaboration of the bill. The key goal of the bill is introduction
of the alienation institutions, regulation of the issues concerning
the owner’s rights, the mechanisms of relevant decisions by courts.
In this connection, the Government as a responsible body is to assess
the necessity of alienation. The owner has a right to appeal against
the Government’s decision to the court, implying European Human
Rights Court. The public interests are prior when making decisions
on alienation of property. It concerns the construction of airport,
energy and other facilities. After the owner appeals against the
decision of the Government to the court, the parties get a right
to at least 3 months of negotiations. During this period of time
the alienation is banned. If the owner disagrees with the proposal,
a third stage starts to estimate the reasonable price of the property.
This implies application of market prices plus 15 percent from the
owner’s sum. At the same time, the owner does not pay any taxes from
these funds. When the sum is transferred to the depository account
of the owner and the court makes decision, the property is considered
alienated. If the court resolves to re-estimate the property, this may
not be in favor of the owner as a higher market price may be applied at
the given moment. The courts have 7 days to execute this decision. – M-
RA PARLIAMENT RECOGNIZED, IN SECOND READING, MANY LAWS, ADOPTED
EARLIER BY ARMENIAN SUPREME COUNCIL, STALE
Today, RA Parliament has recognized, in a second reading, a number of
laws, adopted earlier by the RA Parliament and the Armenian Supreme
Council, stale.
As the RA deputy Justice Minister, Gevork Malkhasyan, told the
deputies, a situation has been formed at present, when many laws,
adopted earlier, either do not function or conflict with the provisions
of the country’s Basic Law. Actually, they have effect but are inactive
in fact. In view of this, the Government has determined a list of 80
laws which now stale.
R PARLIAMENTARIANS PASSED BILL, IN THIRD READING, ON ESSENCES WHICH
DESTROY OZONE LAYER
Today, the Ra Parliamentarians have passed a bill, in the third and
final reading, on essences, which destroy the ozone layer.
As the Minister for Nature Preservation, Vardan Aivazyan, noted
in his speech, the bill was developed by RA Government based on the
liabilities, taken by Armenia in line with the clauses of the Viennese
International Convention on the Ozone Layer Protection, as well as
with the Montreal and London Protocol to the Copenhagen Agreement
about essences which destroy the ozone layer. According to Aivazyan,
production of essences, which affect the ozone layer destruction,
is forbidden in Armenia. Though, it has never produced such essences,
however, a tendency of their import is observed. Based on this bill,
Ra Government is obliged to annually set the volumes of import and
use of these essences. Their import from the countries , which did
not joint the International Conventions and Agreements, is banned. The
deputies have also made corresponding changes to the Law on State Due.
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS ADOPT BILL ON TERRITORIES UNDER SPECIAL
PROTECTION
Armenian parliamentarians have adopted the third and the final reading
of a bill on the territories under special protection.
Nature Protection Minister Vardan Ayvazyan says the bill consists
of 17 chapters and 33 articles. It classifies the territories under
special protection, establishes the order of their protection and
development. For the first time, the document provides for the
mechanism of elaboration and application of a plan of preservation
and sustainable development of reserves. The development of eco-
tourism can become one of the sources of sustainable development,
the minister says. The bill establishes the rights and the duties of
the bodies responsible for creation, preservation and development of
the given territories. In particular, these are local self-government
bodies. The document defines the territories of international, state
and private importance. The bill underwent examination of foreign
specialists twice, the minister says.
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS ADOPT PACKAGE OF LAWS REGULATING TRADE AND
CONTROL OVER SAFE FOODSTUFFS
Armenian parliamentarians have adopted the third and the final reading
of a package of laws regulating the trade and control over safety
of foodstuffs.
Minister of Agriculture of Armenia David Lokyan said these are 5
laws the adoption of which will bring the country’s legislation
in harmony with European standards. The Government has prepared a
relevant law applied in Europe. The new law on safety of food products
regulates the whole turnover of foodstuffs, including the procession
and consumption. The bill establishes such notions as harmful food
products, mechanisms of control and withdrawal from circulation. The
order is established by the Government. However, the Health Care
Ministry has a prior right to withdraw products from circulation. A
single supervisory body can be formed in future. A producer is
responsible for the quality of foodstuffs. A relevant supervisory body
will control over the activity of producers. Additional requirements
are made to advertising of foodstuffs. Advertising must be coordinated
with the Health Care Ministry. Information exchange is of special
importance as well. The document regulates also the rights and the
powers of inspectors.
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT AMENDS LAW ON ARMENIAN CIVIL DEFENSE SUBDIVISIONS
Armenian parliamentarians has amended the Law on the Armenian Civil
Defense Subdivisions in the second and final reading, Monday.
Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia Arthur Aghabekyan necessitated the
amendments with the fact that the subdivisions were transferred to the
structure of the Armenian Defense Ministry under the amendments dated
May 26 2005. However, the structure and the staff of the sub-divisions
were approved by the Armenian Government. In this connection, there
was a necessity of amending the law and granting this right to the
defense minister.
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT AMENDS CODE ON ADMINISTRATIVE VIOLATIONS
Armenian parliamentarians amended the Code on administrative violations
in the second and final reading, Monday.
One of the authors of the amendments, representative of the United
Labor Party faction, Hripsime Avetisyan, stated that on July 7 2006,
the Armenian Parliament adopted a Law on declaration of the property
and incomes of citizens. Under the law, many citizens pledge to make
declarations on their property and incomes. In addition, a Law on
declaration of the property and incomes of high-ranking officials
came into effect in 2001. The amendments provide for giving citizens
additional 30 days to make a relevant declaration. Fines are to be
imposed when the citizens do not declare their property and incomes
also after the expiry of these 30 days.
R PARLIAMENTARIANS PASSED LAW ON NATIONAL WATER PROGRAM
Today, RA Parliamentarians have passed a Law, in the third and final
reading, on the National Water Program.
As the RA Minister for Nature Preservation , Vardan Aivazyan,
said, the main provisions of the bill proceed from the Water Code
requirements. The requirement of keeping and rational use of the
country’s water resources is assumed a s a basis of the National
Water Program. In particular, the classification of water resources,
the water quality standards are given in the document. Thus, the
water resources are divided by the degree of importance, danger and
use. Keeping and increase of wager resources is carried out on the
account of both the state budget means and the credits and grants of
international organizations. Taking into account the peculiarities of
water resources, all this, in the Minister’s opinion, will contribute
to their efficient control and reduction of losses. As the Minister
noted, the volumes of water reserves in the Republic at present make
up 9 bln cub.m, 2,4 bln cub. m of which is actually used. The task
number one, Aivazyan underlined, is to increase these volumes. 1,5
bln cub. m more are sent to the transboundary rivers. According to
the Minister, these volumes are fixed by international documents,
to which Armenia has also joined.